Maritime - Data.gov

Discover datasets for marine transportation, a critical part of our transportation system used for domestic and international trade, national security, research, and recreation. Explore data related to mapping and charting, energy use, commodity movement, international trade and finance, environmental sustainability, and more.

By the numbers: port statistics for some of the largest U.S. ports

As intermodal connectors for domestic and international freight, our nation’s ports serve a critical role in numerous supply chains and the national economy. In recognition of this importance, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (P.L. 114-94; Dec. 4, 2015; 129 Stat. 1312) established a Port Performance Freight Statistics Program within the U.S. Department of Transportation: Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The first annual Port Performance Freight Statistics Program report provides descriptive statistics for a group of ports for year 2016, including the top 25 ports in terms of total tonnage, twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), and dry bulk tonnage. The report is available to download at https://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/PPFS_Annual_Report.pdf

The 2016 Port Performance report used multiple sources, including public datasets featured on Data.Gov. One foundational dataset used in the report is the total commercial tonnage carried on waterways published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center.

Link to dataset: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/total-tonnage-foreign-and-domestic-of-commodites-carried-on-commercial-waterways .

Example of cargo movement through a dry bulk cargo port terminal — Typical infrastructure and cargo flow at a port terminal handling dry bulk cargo, such as coal.

More Highlights

Of Sturgeon and Ships

March 7, 2019 By Marin Kress, Research Scientist, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

The U.S. Coast Guard maintains an archive of historical vessel position movements, collected through the Nationwide Automatic Identification System (NAIS). Originally designed to improve maritime safety and security, these historical vessel position records have proven to be a valuable resource for a variety … Continued

Safety at Sea – U.S. Coast Guard Marine Casualty and Pollution Data for Researchers

December 7, 2017 By Marin Kress, Research Scientist, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is responsible for investigating reportable marine casualties, accidents, and serious marine incidents. The relevant mission statement and specific regulations can be found on the USCG Investigations Division homepage . After an incident has been reported, it is entered into a national database of … Continued

Northeast Ocean Data Portal – Providing a Common Picture of New England’s Ocean Uses

November 8, 2017 By Marin Kress, Research Scientist, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center

The North Atlantic ocean is a busy place, full of sea life, ships, and – fortunately – a slew of data. Anyone interested in local, state, or regional marine planning efforts in New England can visit the Northeast Ocean Data portal (http://www.northeastoceandata.org/), which provides ocean-related … Continued

The California Seafloor and Coastal Mapping Program benefits from shared data

August 15, 2017 By Marin Kress, PhD

The California Seafloor and Coastal Mapping Program has brought together federal, state, and local stakeholders to develop and share an extensive variety of seafloor-mapping datasets. This collaborative effort that brought together bathymetric (seafloor), geologic, and biological data relevant to California’s State Waters was recently described in … Continued

Visualizing ocean traffic on Marine Cadastre

June 12, 2017 By Marin Kress

When viewed from the shore the ocean may seem like a boundless resource with plenty of space, but the reality is quite different. Coastal areas are home to shipping lanes used by commercial vessels, attractive fish habitat that supports commercial and recreational fisheries, … Continued

Highlights

Updates